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Best no-penalty CD rates for March 2024

Best available rates across different account types for Tuesday, March 19, 2024

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Current savings trends
Bankrate Partner average
4.79% APY
National average
0.57% APY

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Bankrate's picks for the top no-penalty CD rates

Note: Annual percentage yields (APYs) shown are as of Feb. 23, 2024. Bankrate's editorial team validates this information regularly, typically biweekly. APYs may have changed since they were last updated and may vary by region for some products. Bankrate includes only FDIC banks or NCUA credit unions in its listings.

America First Credit Union: 5.00% APY, $500 minimum deposit

America First offers a 12-month Flexible Certificate account that is a bit different from a traditional no-penalty CD. It allows one penalty-free withdrawal during the first five calendar days of each quarter. Customers can also deposit up to $10,000 into the CD each month, with up to $100,000 in total additional deposits.

Term APY Minimum balance to earn APY
1 year 5.00% $500

CIT Bank: 4.90% APY, $1,000 minimum deposit

CIT Bank, an online bank, became a subsidiary of First Citizens Bank following the completion of a merger in January 2022. In addition to the 11-month no-penalty CD, CIT Bank offers eight terms of regular CDs and four terms of jumbo CDs.

CIT Bank also offers savings and money market accounts.

Term APY Minimum balance to earn APY
11 months 4.90% $1,000

Marcus by Goldman Sachs: 0.35% to 4.70% APY, $500 minimum deposit

Marcus is the consumer banking unit of Goldman Sachs Bank USA. It offers three terms of no-penalty CDs — seven, 11 and 13 months — along with a variety of standard CDs terms and a savings account.

Term APY Minimum balance to earn APY
7 months 0.45% $500
11 months 0.35% $500
13 months 4.70% $500

Ally Bank: 4.15% APY, $0 minimum deposit

Ally is an online bank formerly known as GMAC Bank. Ally offers an 11-month no-penalty CD with no minimum opening deposit.

Ally also offers a Raise Your Rate CD in terms of two years and four years as well as standard CDs in different terms.

Term APY Minimum balance to earn APY
11 months 4.15% $0

Synchrony Bank: 3.65% APY, $0 minimum deposit

Synchrony Bank’s 11-month no-penalty CD is a new addition to its lineup of 14 terms of traditional CDs and its two-year bump-up CD. The bank also offers savings and money market accounts. The savings account earns a competitive APY and has no minimum balance requirement.

Term APY Minimum balance to earn APY
11 months 3.65% $0

What is a no-penalty CD?

no-penalty CD usually doesn’t have a penalty if you withdraw the funds before the term ends. Early withdrawal isn’t permitted within the first week of funding or opening a no-penalty CD, but after that a penalty-free withdrawal is possible.

No-penalty CDs may be a good fit for people who aren’t sure when they’ll need access to their money but still want to earn a possible higher APY.

Pros and cons of no-penalty CDs

Consider the following pros and cons to see if a no-penalty CD is the right financial choice for you. 

Pros

  • Checkmark

    You won’t have to worry about an early withdrawal penalty with a no-penalty CD.

  • Checkmark

    Savings accounts usually have a variable APY, while no-penalty CDs generally offer fixed rates for the duration of the term.

  • Checkmark

    Some no-penalty CDs may carry a higher yield than a savings account.

Cons

  • CDs that have an early withdrawal penalty generally pay higher yields.

  • Generally, you won’t be able to withdraw your entire balance from a no-penalty CD until the seventh day after your deposit.

No-penalty CD FAQs

Research methodology

At Bankrate, we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is unbiased and not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy.

Bankrate regularly surveys around 70 widely available financial institutions, made up of the biggest banks and credit unions, as well as a number of popular online banks.

To find the best CDs, our editorial team analyzes various factors, such as: annual percentage yield (APY), the minimum needed to earn that APY (or to open the CD) and whether or not it is broadly available. All of the accounts on this page are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. or the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund.

When selecting the best CD for you, consider the purpose of the money and when you’ll need access to these funds to help you avoid early withdrawal penalties.